Public Service Announcements for the EPA

Did you know that, according to HubSpot, the percentage of businesses that used video (as a tool for marketing) in 2020 was 85%? Additionally, in the next year, this percentage was 86%, and so far this year, in 2022, the percentage is 86%.

Seeing how much businesses use video for the purpose of marketing, you might be interested in hiring video production services to help you create a PSA.

However, if you aren’t sure how to best do this, you might be feeling stressed.

Fortunately, in this article, we’ll review tips for creating successful PSAs. Finally, your public services announcement can reach the right people the right way and really make a difference. Read on to learn more.

Choose Your Topic (and Choose an Ask)

When you’re putting together your public service announcement, you need to think about what goals you want to accomplish. People call this an “ask.” After they’ve watched your PSA, the members of your audience should feel inspired and like they have the knowledge needed to take an action.

So figure out what this specific outcome you want to cause with your video is. This way, you’ll know exactly what poignant, specific message you want your PSA to convey.

Remember to keep this as simple as possible. If possible, create one sentence that says exactly what you want your PSA’s message to be.

Identify Your Audience for Public Service Announcements

When it comes to how to make a public service announcement, one of the most important things you need to do is identify who your audience is. This is directly related to the “ask” we mentioned in the last section.

Why? When it comes to your message, you need to tailor it to the resources and abilities of the audience that you’re targeting.

Is your audience the general public? In this case, you can make your ask more general and focus on shaping a mindset that’s helpful.

Gather the Information You Need

Once you’ve identified your topic and audience, it’s time to gather the information you need. After all, your PSA should illustrate the agenda or problem you’re hoping to publicize. For this reason, you need the right information to back it up.

This might include relevant facts or statistics. Additionally, depending on your PSA, personal stories or anecdotes might be useful, too.

The idea behind gathering this information is that it will be able to demonstrate how important what you’re attempting to do is.

It will serve to be your PSA campaign’s heart and help you come up with your narrative angle, too.

Be Authentic When Using Media

When you create a PSA, the main aim of it is to generate change. This is done through gaining visibility and then inspiring people to take action. For this reason, you need to ensure that the media you use grabs attention and also gives people an emotional incentive that causes them to follow your ask.

There are some things to avoid so that your PSAs are authentic.

First of all, ensure that your representations aren’t melodramatic. Additionally, don’t include information that’s unnecessary.

Put Together Your Script

Now, you’re ready for the scripting step. Whether you’re video scripting for a PSA series or creating a different type of script, ensure that everyone on your team has a similar vision. Otherwise, it could be difficult to put a script together.

When you’re scripting, think about the who (who’s specifically being affected by the issue), the way (why it is that they’re being affected), and the what (what it is they can do about the issue).

Storyboarding

Once you have your script together, it’s smart to storyboard what the scenes will look like. Focus on the shots themselves. Focus as well on the content and angle you want to capture. This will cut down on how much time you’ll end up spending editing later on.

Editing

Finally, once you’ve filmed your PSA, there’s the editing stage of the process. To do this, you’ll review the footage you have and decide whether there need to be any changes. If you’re planning on making different-length videos (for example, shorter ones for social media) you can also do this in this step.

Promotion

While this isn’t part of the PSA creation process itself, promotion can help you ensure that your PSA video stands out. There are several strategies you can use to do this. One of these is placing the video “above the fold” on your website.

This means putting the content high up on the page. When you do this, people are more likely to see it.

Another strategy is to add share buttons close to the video. This way, people are more likely to share it. This will make the video, when it’s shared, more likely to be seen by others.

You can also use social media, posting the video on your social media platforms. If you want, you can also create paid social ads. This will make it easier to reach specific audiences.

Additional promotional strategies you can use include using newsletters, e-blasts, landing pages, SEO optimization, and QR codes.

Looking for Video Production Services?

Now that you’ve learned about the tips you can use to create successful PSAs, you might be interested in hiring video production services professionals to help you create your PSA. In this case, you should look no further than Rock Creek Productions.

We’re video production experts and can help you put together an effective and engaging PSA. To learn more about our services, contact us now.

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